Individual Banana Baked Oatmeal for Secret Recipe Club

I was pretty excited about this month’s Secret Recipe Club because I moved to a new group. This is where food bloggers are assigned another foodie’s blog, select and prepare a recipe, and then share our experiences on the same day. This month I had Christina’s Mis-Cakes Oven Adventures, a blog dedicated to baking, sweets, and desserts. Since I am having trouble this winter keeping the same unwanted three pounds off (and on and off and on and off), I perused her blog with an eye for something healthy. I must say that the maple bacon cinnamon buns looked like something we’d love, and being a peanut butter-aholic, the peanut butter cookie blueberry bars caught my eye as well. Not being a baker, I enjoyed reading the tips and tricks section too.

I finally decided on the individual banana baked oatmeal, super healthy and easy, and next time I make these, I will add more cinnamon, a little nutmeg, and blueberries. Her recipe calls for cookie butter (no idea what that is), but I slathered mine with a spoonful of peanut butter as soon as it came out of the oven, which was a nice boost of good fat and protein. Thanks for the recipe, Christina!

Individual Banana Baked Oatmeal

Makes one serving

1 medium ripe banana

1/3 c milk (I used almond milk for mind, skim milk for Craig’s)

1 egg white

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 c large flake oats

1/4 tsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice

Move oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 F.

In a small bowl mix together oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and all spice. Set aside.

In a medium bowl mash banana, add egg white and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add in your oat mixture. Once combined pour into an oven safe bowl such as a large ramekin.

Bake for 30 minutes or until puffy and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Print here.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Blueberry Muffins!

My blogger friend Tina from Mom's Crazy Cooking started a new recipe exchange called Crazy Cooking Challenge where a featured food item is selected each month and bloggers are free to use any (non-professional) blog recipe that looks tasty, prepare and blog about it, and we all post about it on the same day. It’s a low stress exchange that’s a great way to meet new food bloggers, and if you’d like to join us, the details are here.

April was blueberry muffin month, and I started out by simply Googling “blueberry muffin recipe blog.” I knew I’d get a lot of hits, but no idea how many – 2,520,000 results as a matter of fact. Have you ever noticed the amount of BUTTER in many blueberry muffin recipes? Like whole sticks. I decided to revise my criteria to find healthier recipes and added “oatmeal” to my search criteria. Still nothing was jumping out saying you-gotta-make-me. I then remembered the conversation we recently had about using the pumpkin I roasted and froze in the fall and added “pumpkin” to my search.

Voila, and I found Em Loves. Emily’s a prolific baker but healthy is important to her being a big-time runner. Her Pumpkin Gingerbread Blueberry Muffins were amazing and with no butter or oil!! Still super moist thanks to the pumpkin, without being overly sweet (I did cut back the sugar called for in her recipe), and full of great blueberry flavor. These turned out to be local Missouri muffins, too. Besides using local pumpkin and blueberries we picked last summer and froze, I substituted local sorghum for the molasses and threw in some local pecans, which added crunchy texture that paired nicely with the softness of the berries. The recipe below reflects the changes I made.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Blueberry Muffins

Makes 14 muffins

1 C canned pumpkin

Between 1/2 and 3/4 C white sugar

3 T sorghum

1 egg

1 t vanilla extract

1 C all-purpose flour

1 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1/2 t ground ginger

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 C buttermilk

2 HEAPING cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, mix with enough flour to lightly coat the berries. This prevents the batter from turning blue)

1/3 C chopped pecans

2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with muffin liners (I ended up making 14 muffins).

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, sugar, and sorghum together until creamy. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, sift together flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and salt.

Gradually add flour mixture into pumpkin mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, until both the flour mixture and buttermilk are incorporated into the batter. Fold in the blueberries. Add the pecans. 

Batter will be thin.

Pour batter into 12 muffin cups (cups will be VERY full!). Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbsp sugar over the top of the batter.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out fairly clean.

Let muffins cool in baking pan for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.

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Company's Coming Apple Cake and a Plug for a GREAT New Cookbook

Even though I’ve never seen the TV show, I am a huge fan of the Fabulous Beekman Boys, and Craig surprised me with the 1802 Heirloom Cookbook when it came out a few months ago. It is nothing short of fabulous (pun intended). And, yes, this is an unpaid endorsement for this cookbook! The photos of the food, the produce, and the farm are all gorgeous. It is laid out by season, the way I like to cook, and the recipes are authentic, homey, and easy to follow even for a novice, with interesting narratives about most recipes. Since I scribble all over my cookbooks, Josh and Brent provide space on every page for recipe notes. I like that. Visiting the farm is certainly on my bucket list.

I’m a bit reluctant to post yet-another less-than-light recipe because I do try to keep our diet healthy, but the apple cake is just too good not to praise. It’s made with simple ingredients you typically have on hand, other than perhaps apples, and it comes together quickly. Any kind of apple can be used, but the recipe cautions against Granny Smiths that tend to be too dry and McIntoshes, which get mushy. Rich-tasting, low-fat** buttermilk results in a tender crumb and more body. I used slightly less sugar and changed the ratio of whole wheat and all-purpose flours; with two sticks of butter, it was still melt-in-your mouth moist. I upped the cinnamon and nutmeg and added cloves and ground ginger, producing more of an apple SPICE cake, so your house will smell heavenly. The original recipe indicates it keeps several days at room temperature, assuming it lasts that long.

Company’s Coming Apple Cake

Original recipe from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook

(This recipe reflects the changes I made.)

Serves 12-16

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 C white whole wheat pastry flour
1 C all-purpose flour
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 t cloves

1/4 t ground ginger

1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 C buttermilk (mix 1 T lemon juice with enough skim milk to make 1 C and allow to thicken)

2 C diced, peeled apple, 1/2"-dice, about 2-3 apples

Streusel:
1/4 C light brown sugar, packed
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t ground cinnamon
4 T butter, melted
1/2 C walnuts (original recipe indicates pecans as an option)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and line it with a layer of heavy-duty foil, leaving a two-inch overhang on each of the short ends. Butter the foil.

With a stand-mixer or hand-beaters, beat the butter until creamy, roughly 1 minute. Gradually beat in the two sugars until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flours, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together with a fork or small whisk. Set aside.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, beating after each addition just to incorporate. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.

Fold in the apples just until combined. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan; don’t overmix the batter

For the streusel:

Use a pastry blender or two knives, and mix together all of the ingredients except the nuts together until it is coarse crumbles. Add the nuts and scatter the topping over the coffee cake batter in an even layer.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool completely on a rack before serving. Lift it out of the pan using the foil overhang as handles.

Printable Recipe

Homemade Pop-Tarts!

Yikes, it’s been nearly two months since I last blogged. For three weeks of that time, I have a great excuse. We were vacationing in Argentina and Chile so I wasn’t cooking. Being out of the kitchen that long makes you aware of how much you do enjoy it – and miss it. We got back days before Christmas and time has flown by since New Years. I do have some fun catch-up to blog about because we've made a few amazing culinary creations since we've been home.

The first recipe to share is purely reminiscent of childhood, decadent, and crazy scrumptious. Connor declared it’s the best pastry he’s ever eaten. Homemade pop-tarts. Based on a Bon Appetit recipe, we first had them for Christmas breakfast. Craig made the dough and I filled them, half with homemade strawberry preserves and half with cinnamon sugar. These are so good that we made a batch again yesterday, this time with apricot filling, to take as dessert for a dinner party that we paired with homemade lavender almond ice cream (instead of eight pop-tarts, we made 16 smaller ones). Plan ahead because you have at least three hours rest time, and they are not light with two sticks of butter. But you have to splurge occasionally, and  they are worth the indulgence. It's really an insult to a pastry this flaky to call it a pop-tart.

Christmas breakfast - "pop tarts," winter fruits, individual egg bakes

Homemade Pop-Tarts

Makes 8

2 C plus 2 T all purpose flour plus additional for shaping and rolling

1 t coarse kosher salt

1 t sugar

1 C (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 T ice water

12 T preserves (preferably homemade)

Variation for Cinnamon Sugar Filling (for 4 pop-tarts, reduce preserves accordingly)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

2 t all purpose flour

Glaze

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 t milk

1/4 t vanilla extract

Whisk 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, coarse salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips or back of fork, blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water by tablespoonfuls, tossing until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Divide in half; shape each half into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on floured surface to about 13x11 inches. Trim to 12x10-inch rectangle, then cut into eight 5x3-inch rectangles.

Arrange 4 rectangles, spaced apart, on each sheet. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons preserves in row down center of each rectangle. Top preserves with second dough rectangle. Use a ravioli cutter/sealer to seal each tart. Otherwise, use your fingertips to press all edges of each tart to seal and then press all edges with tines of fork to double-seal. Using toothpick, poke a few holes in center of top dough rectangle. Cover; freeze tarts on sheets at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake frozen tarts uncovered until golden, reversing sheets after 15 minutes, 25 to 30 minutes total (some preserves may leak out). Immediately transfer tarts to rack.

For glaze, wish all ingredients together and drizzle over hot pastries.

Serve warm.

The BEST Cake. Ever. Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake

Admittedly I am not much of a baker. It’s too precise, inflexible compared to the creativity tolerated in cooking, and just not something I typically do. Nor would I ever eat cake for breakfast. I rarely eat cake any time. That is until this weekend when I baked a fresh fig cake that made me take back those thoughts.

This is the moistest cake, with an amazingly light and airy crumb. It literally melts in your mouth. And I did eat it for breakfast yesterday. And I will eat it for breakfast again tomorrow if there’s any left. The fresh figs are caramelized in buttery brown sugar, and piney, fresh rosemary and tart lemon juice add pungency and savory flavors as a foil to the sweetness. Upside-down cake reminds me of Connor as a little boy when this kind of cake was his very fav, so it's a bit sentimental too. Unfortunately in St. Louis, the fresh fig season is short so take advantage of them and bake this today. Be forewarned, the recipe does dirty a lot bowls, but if you’re going to bake, go all out. This is the cake to bake.

Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake
Adapted from Food52
Makes 8 servings

1/2 C butter (8 tablespoons)
1 C brown sugar
10 fresh, ripe figs of your choice, tips removed, halved – I used more because many of mine were small
4 t fresh rosemary, finely chopped, divided
2-3 T walnut pieces, or as many as needed
1/2 C all purpose flour

1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
3 eggs, separated
1 C granulated sugar – I used vanilla sugar
4 T fresh lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
1 t pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Add butter to a 9-inch-round baking pan, and place inside of a warm oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Add figs, flesh side down, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the rosemary. Fill in the nooks and crannies with walnut pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and stir.

Using a hand mixer, in a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until fluffy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add lemon juice, zest, vanilla extract, and remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until well combined. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth with the spatula.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Secret Recipe Club - Veggie Sausage Frittata

I was part of a food blogger recipe exchange this month called The Secret Recipe Club where bloggers are paired up and reveal their partner (and what they prepared) on a designated day. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lisa’s The Gonzo Gourmet, which is filled with many wonderful recipes. Her style and blog lean towards local foods, mostly healthy but an occasional indulgent recipe, and it feels like we have much in common – from consuming wine while cooking (not when I prepared her recipe – this time – since it was 10AM!) to even using the same recipe as the basis for our bar nuts (from Union Square Café).

We needed a hearty breakfast to carry us until we got to the Slow  Food St. Louis Feast in the Field Dinner at Claverach Farm, which started at 4PM. Since we were still swimming in zucchini and had some chorizo in the freezer that needed used, I looked through the Breakfast category. The Veggie Frittata caught my eye. While the original recipe is meatless and cheeseless and uses peas and asparagus, I knew this would be a versatile recipe, and it did not disappoint. Because I must have greatly increased the amount of “filling,” I had to double the number of eggs to cover the veggies, chorizo, and cheese (my addition).

Craig commented that it’s similar to a breakfast casserole, and I agree with one big advantage. I can never get egg-based casseroles to cook in a reasonable amount of time. They always take longer than the recipe indicates. Much longer. Since this is first cooked on the stove before baking, it is much quicker to prepare. I also appreciated that I sautéed the veggies (and chorizo) in the same cast iron skillet that it bakes in for easy clean up. Lisa mentions this is tasty for dinner. Great idea.

Thanks for the recipe inspiration, Lisa! This is a keeper.

Breakfast Frittata

4 generous servings

1 T olive oil

8 ounces chorizo
¼ onion, diced
salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 medium yellow squash, sliced width-wise

1 medium zucchini, sliced width-wise
8 eggs

3/4 to 1 C freshly grated cheddar cheese (I used Trader Joe’s lowfat cheddar)
1/4 C fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

In an oven proof 10-inch skillet over medium heat (cast iron is ideal), cook chorizo until done. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Wipe out the pan and heat the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and zucchini and sauté until tender about 10 minutes or so.

While the vegetables cook, beat the eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the skillet, twisting the skillet (use an oven mitt) to move the eggs evenly over the vegetables. Add the cheese and basil.

Cook the eggs until set, about 8-10 minutes. It’s okay if they’re still a bit runny on top. Place the skillet in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until the eggs have cooked and are no longer runny.Slice and enjoy. Salsa is a nice accompaniment.

A FLOP! Banana Walnut Waffles

I rarely make something the family deems completely inedible, but it happened last weekend. I prepared a recipe for this month’s Taste & Create recipe exchange, where food bloggers are paired up and try recipes from each other’s blogs, from Carol’s No Reason Needed blog. We’d been paired up before and the result was fantastic, but unfortunately not this time. Perhaps it was the changes I made, but I’m not going to try the recipe again. The original is below with my changes noted.

The recipe for banana walnut waffles sounded tasty, perfect for Saturday breakfast. I had all the ingredients, and it came together quickly. So far so good until the batter went into the waffle maker. After baking for what seemed like a long time, the waffle still was still doughy, almost mushy. Besides this unpleasant texture, I agreed with Connor that the taste was pretty awful. In not wanting to concede defeat, I made them into pancakes which I thought weren’t bad, but not great.

Sometimes, a recipe just doesn’t work.

Banana Walnut WafflesMakes 8 waffles

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached flour (I used half whole wheat pastry and half all purpose)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup vanilla yogurt, lowfat
3/4 cup whole milk (I used skim because I’m allergic to whole milk and we rarely have it )
1 cup banana, mashed
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions
1. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and oil and stir into dry ingredients. Stir in yogurt. Add milk and stir until mixture is a smooth batter. Stir in banana and walnuts until incorporated. Let batter rest 5 minutes before using. Preheat your Cuisinart ® Waffle Iron on setting #3.

2. When preheated, green indicator light will illuminate. Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto the center of the lower grid. Allow batter to spread towards edges for 5 seconds. Close lid of waffle iron – green indicator light will turn off. When green indicator light turns on again, waffle is ready. Open lid and carefully remove baked waffle. Repeat with remaining batter. For best results, serve immediately. You may keep waffles warm on a rack placed on a baking sheet in a warm (200°F) oven.

Two Delicious Quick Breads - Strawberry-Blackberry and Bacon Cheddar

As I mentioned last week, I baked for the St. Louis Food Bloggers' Share Our Strength Bake Sales put together by Kimberly at Rhubarb and Honey, Stefani of Cupcake Project, Andrew of Andrew Mark Veety. I deliberated what to bake. Cookies are not my gig, and I’m not comfortable enough with my pie crust making skills, so both of those were out of the question. I typically have success with quick breads, maybe because they are pretty forgiving, and if I tweak the recipe, the end product is not in jeopardy of complete ruin. And I like that they’re easy to put together – quick. I tested two new recipes, and both were deemed bake sale worthy. I never thought I liked strawberries baked, a texture thing, but I’ve changed my mind. Based on an old Weight Watchers recipe, the strawberry fruit bread is pretty healthy, but next time I may reduce the sugar a bit. It’s extremely moist with a soft crumb and bursts with strawberry fruit flavor. It started out as strawberry bread but morphed into“fruit” bread because when I baked the loaves for the sale, I realized I only had one cup of frozen strawberries left that we picked last summer, so I defrosted a cup of blackberries we also picked/froze. These breads look gorgeous, too, important when trying to get someone to buy a loaf.

When I told my guys that I was making bacon cheddar breads for my other loaves, they both gave me the “Really?” look. Why not? Who said quick breads need to be sweet? Savory breads are wonderful with soups, chili, salads, and at breakfast. Bacon continues to be THE ingredient and with good reason. It just makes everything taste better. If the aroma of this bread coming out of the oven isn’t reason enough to bake it, taking one bite challenges you not to eat the whole loaf. While it has a tighter crumb than the fruit bread, the contrasting tang from the cheddar balances the salty bacon crumbles. It really works. When you read the list of ingredients, it is not for someone watching calories or fat, but once in a while, a scrumptious splurge is worth it. And I got to use some of the leaf lard that came with our new half hog purchase last month. I also discovered these attractive disposable pans, much better presentation than foil, at The Kitchen Conservatory. No need to grease them and there’s a tab you pull to “unwrap” the bread. Pretty exciting all around.

Strawberry Bread
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1 C thawed frozen strawberries or a mix of frozen berries
1/4 C canola oil

1 t vanilla
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 ounce coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Spray either a 9 x 5 loaf pans or three small loaf pans with cooking spray. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add strawberries, oil, egg white and walnuts to well. Mix just until well combined. Spoon batter into pan/s. Bake 45 minutes for large pan and 30 minutes for small or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove and cool completely on a rack.

Bacon Cheddar Cheese Bread

1/2 pound bacon

1/2 large onion, diced

2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C whole wheat
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t kosher salt

Few dashes nutmeg

Couple grinds black peppercorns
2 T brown sugar
1/4 C lard
1 C coarse grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 C milk buttermilk
1 t Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a 10″ loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels then chop into small pieces. Set aside. Remove all but a tablespoon of the rendered fat, and cook the onion until golden.

In a large bowl combine the flours, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, and spices. Add the lard and, with your hands, mix it into the four until it looks like coarse sand. Add the cheese and toss to combine.

In another bowl mix the eggs, buttermilk, and Worcestershire sauce. 

Pour the wet over the dry and mix until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated.  Add the bacon and onions and fold in, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top of the bread is lightly brown and a thin knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out on a wire rack to cool.

Photo Courtesy - J. Pollack Photography



Another Great Recipe I’ve Made for Years – Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Craig reminded me last week that I had not made one of his and Connor’s favorite muffins in eons:  lemon poppy seed. And he was right. It had been way too long. Part of the problem is that I've been challenged to source lemon yogurt. And when I can find it, it’s in six-ounce cartons, not the 8-ounces the recipe specifies. I know, I could buy two or use plain or vanilla yogurt, but the lemon adds a bit more zest. This is another reminder of how food packaging continues to shrink but food prices are not (or are increasing). It’s everywhere. From milk no longer being a gallon,  to ice cream, orange juice, cereals, Frito Lay chips (although this is not a bad thing), and even Wrigley's chewing gum. As well, this results in additional "physical" packaging to clog landfills. It means the cost per ounce has gone up, so it’s more important than ever to shop unit costs and not just look at the price of an item. Just sayin’. Shop smart.

Back to the muffins. Actually muffin tops, my guys preference because you get so much more crispy edge. Connor is notoriously running late on school mornings, and it’s a daily challenge to get food into him. These – no problem. Perfect texture, they are light, fluffy, with a nice crunch thanks to the poppy seeds. The lemon flavor has the perfect amount of pucker, and they’re really moist. A few seconds in the microwave, and they revive their fresh, out-of-the-oven goodness. Perfect for eating on the run while on your way to school.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Serves 12

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 T poppy seeds

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

3 T vegetable oil

1 t grated lemon rind

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 8-ounce carton lemon low-fat yogurt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine flours, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine oil, rind, juice, yogurt, and egg; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into each of 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 14 minutes or until golden. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

Ooey Gooey Sticky Cinnamon Rolls and Warmed Poached Winter Fruit

I’ve made these cinnamon rolls for nearly twenty years, first for Easter, and in more recent times, as part of our Christmas brunch. These are sinful. They are so simple and rival any you’d find in a bakery – or from your grandmother’s oven. They melt in your mouth. Sweet, with a distinct cinnamon flavor, soft, but not doughy. Gooey and sticky. And your house smells so homey. Just the way cinnamon rolls should be. And they can be prepared a day ahead and baked just before serving.

I also made poached fruit for brunch that reminded me of childhood. My grandparents had a quince tree, and I loved the jelly my grandmother made.  If you have never tasted quince, it’s flavor is between an apple – but more spicy and robust than an apple –  a pear, cherries, with a hint of cloves. As far as I know, quinces are not eaten raw because they are very hard and quite sour, but mellow nicely when cooked and pair well with apples and pears. The original recipe from Cooking Light had this as a dessert, but it works perfectly for breakfast.

Sticky Cinnamon Rolls

Makes about 15

1 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 envelope rapid-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup warm water (125°F. to 130°F.)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 egg

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 stick + 1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

Using electric mixer fitted with dough hook or paddle, mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add water, butter and egg and mix until smooth dough forms, about 4 minutes. Transfer dough to greased bowl. Cover with plastic and clean towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Butter 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter to boil in heavy small saucepan. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup walnuts. Pour into prepared dish. Punch dough down. Roll out on lightly floured surface to 15x9-inch rectangle. Spread dough evenly with remaining 1/3 cup butter. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup walnuts and raisins. Roll up jelly roll style, starting at one long side. Slice dough into 1-inch-thick rounds.

Arrange dough slices cut side down in prepared dish, spacing evenly. Cover with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 45 minutes. Yesterday I forgot I had them in the oven (turned off!) and they rose for likely two hours!

At this point, these can be refrigerated and baked the next morning. Bring to room temperature before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Turn out onto platter. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

Spiced Winter Fruit

Serves 8

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar – I used white sugar today because I was out of brown

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

2 quinces, each cut into bite-size wedges (about 3/4 pound)

3 cups sliced peeled Bartlett or Anjou pear (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 1/2 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cinnamon sticks (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add quinces; cover and cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar mixture, pear, and apple; cover and cook 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper; garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired

This dish will hold up for up to 3 days if refrigerated in an airtight container. To serve, reheat over low heat.

Sweet Potato and Ham Hash and an Authentic Cast Iron Skillet

Our pantry runneth over with sweet potatoes from our CSA box, and we had leftover ham from an enormous roast I made earlier in the week. Perfect ingredients for hash, and the cast iron skillet my Uncle Truman gave me a few years ago was just the thing to cook such in. It’s the kind of skillet that my grandmother used, well-seasoned and huge, and it browned the potatoes ever so crisply. Don’t skip the cider vinegar. It adds a piquant zip that compliments the sweetness of the potatoes and the saltiness of the ham. We served it with a Napa cabbage sIaw. And the leftovers are even better the next day topped with two poached eggs. Devine.

Sweet Potato and Ham Hash

Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Drain.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add ham; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell pepper and onions; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add potatoes, salt, celery seed, pepper, and nutmeg; cook 4 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and vinegar. Toss gently until liquid is absorbed.



Serves 6

6 cups 3/4" diced peeled sweet potato (about 1 1/2 pound)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced cooked ham (about 8 ounces)

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2/3 cup chopped onions

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

My Teen Mom Cooking Class - Banana Whole Wheat Pancakes

If last night's class would have been my first night teaching, I may have quit. Another mom had a baby since last Tuesday's class, and a few more to-be moms appear very close to delivering. That was my rationalization why almost every one seemed "low energy," and only a few were actually engaged in cooking. At least we had good participation in the nutrition class when we talked about food budgeting and menu planning. We also had an interesting debate about washing meat, which neither the nutrition instructors, nor the Operation FrontLine staff member, nor me do. Current food science, according to our instructor's manual, indicates this is a now passe food practice. Would be interested in hearing what other "cookers" think of this. Rather than allow this to be another reason not to eat what we make, I told the women that when such things arise where they are uncomfortable, they need to just tell me.

Tonight was BFD (Connor told me he wanted BFD for dinner last week when Craig took clients to a hockey game, and I almost came unglued - you don't use that kind of language with Mom!). Breakfast for Dinner! My class had never heard of - or had - such before and actually seemed to like both dishes we made: veggies, eggs, cheese, and salsa whole wheat tortillas and banana pancakes.

Banana Whole Wheat Pancakes
Printable Recipe